One-liner: CDTI FEDER grant that turns an EIC Accelerator "Seal of Excellence" into real money — funding the R&D projects of Spanish SMEs that scored highly at the EIC Accelerator but weren't funded by Brussels. 70% of eligible budget, up to €2.5M per project; total call budget €7,491,732.00 (patrimonio CDTI + FEDER 2021–2027).
Status: 2026 window closed (26 May–9 Jun 2026). Recurs when a new EIC Accelerator Seal-of-Excellence cohort exists — watch CDTI.
What you get
- Grant of 70% of the eligible budget, up to €2,500,000 per project, for the R&D project recognised by the EIC Accelerator Seal of Excellence.
- Funded from CDTI's own patrimony + FEDER 2021–2027 (Programa Plurirregional de España FEDER), total call budget €7,491,732.00 (partida 28.08.467C.74910, PGE 2023 prorrogados 2026).
- Eligible activities: R&D (TRL 5–8) only — deployment activities (TRL 9) are explicitly excluded (beyond "desarrollo experimental" scope). Project financeable budget cannot exceed the budget presented in the original EIC Accelerator submission. Indirect costs = flat 25% of direct costs (excl. technical subcontracting).
- Project execution window: start 1 Jan 2027, end no later than 31 Dec 2029 (incl. possible extensions).
- Generates "informes motivados" (motivated reports, unlocking R&D tax deductions) — unlike NEOTEC, which does not.
Who it's for
- SMEs (pymes, per Anexo I Reglamento (UE) 651/2014) validly constituted, with own legal personality, fiscal domicile in Spain (or an EU-domiciled company with a branch in Spain).
- Must hold an EIC Accelerator Seal of Excellence from one of two specific cohorts: the 2024 second call (deadline 3 Oct 2024) or the 2025 second call (deadline 1 Oct 2025) — not any EIC Accelerator Seal, only these two rounds.
- Correction (2026-07-05): the CDTI ficha itself states no geographic restriction to Canarias/Comunitat Valenciana — that framing came from secondary news coverage, not the official call text. Eligibility is nationwide (any Spanish-domiciled SME with the qualifying Seal). #status/verify if a later bases-reguladoras document narrows this.
- Subcontracting cap: max 80% of total eligible budget; purchases >€15,000 require 3 competing quotes.
How to apply
- CDTI → Ayudas PYMES Sello de Excelencia 2026, electronically via the CDTI sede.
- Window (2026, closed): 26 May 2026 → 9 June 2026 12:00 (peninsular time).
- Provide the EIC Accelerator Seal of Excellence documentation and the project's R&D plan/budget.
Key facts
- 70% up to €2.5M/project · €7,491,732.00 total call budget. A second-chance route for highly-rated EIC Accelerator applicants.
- Complements NEOTEC 2026 (new tech-based companies) and the Women TechEU 2026 / EIC ecosystem.
- Incompatible during execution with any other public aid (EU/national/regional) with identical objectives.
Relations
- Run by: CDTI
- See also: NEOTEC 2026
- See also: Women TechEU 2026
- See also: EIT KIC Accelerators